Up in her room, she packed her bag. She had to leave.
“Where do you think you are going?” Teebie was leaning in her doorway.
“Away. Home. Anything is better than this. I have never been so humiliated in my life.” She sat on the bed and bawled.
Teebie let her cry and handed her a cup of coffee the moment that the hiccups stopped. “Do you want to tell me what happened?”
She gasped between every word. “He thinks I want to be rescued.”
“Do you?”
“I don’t want a rescue; I want a new start, hopefully with someone who finds me attractive.”
“Didn’t Arkenon find you attractive?”
She sniffled. “I think so, but he also found me pathetic. I saw it in his eyes. I don’t want to be a burden just because of who and what I am. I have no idea what to do, but I can’t keep doing this.”
Teebie put her arm around Tyla’s shoulders, and the warm hug from someone who knew only the basics about her made her smile. Comfort offered freely was not something that Tyla experienced often. She revelled in the free contact.
“I am thinking, Tyla, that you are not a regular case. Get some rest; I am going to have a conversation with Teal and Tony. There has to be some alternative to this. You are not cut out for slinking around in bars.”
Tyla sniffled. “I don’t want to be any trouble.”
“I know, sweetie. Get some rest, and we will tackle this in the morning. Arkenon says he will stay downstairs on the couch in case you need anything. He won’t come up here. Promise.”
Tyla nodded and her hostess disappeared. Alone, she stripped off and crawled between the sheets, trying not to feel like a child with an emotional issue. She almost managed it before she fell asleep.
Chapter Five
In the living room of the Open Heart, a gathering was called. Teebie prepared snacks and sat around with Chuck, Ivy, Teal, Tony and, surprisingly, Arkenon.
Teebie put a silencing ward around the room and put a sleep charm on Tyla’s room. It wouldn’t keep her out, but it would ease her into a peaceful state.
“Tyla is resting.” Teebie sat and served tea, coffee and tiny muffins to her guests.
Teal scowled. “This hasn’t happened before.”
Tony nodded. “I checked the archives, and the golden goose has never been allowed to seek a mate.”
Teebie waited while the others murmured over that announcement. “She has been a prisoner, a slave and a ruler without power, each and every day.”
Arkenon sat up and cocked his head. “How do you know all that?”
Teebie snorted. “Tyla was so relieved to be away from home, she felt it necessary to share the details of her home life with me. The gist of it is she hasn’t had one. Her body and intelligence are that of a woman, but her emotional development is that of a child. She needs someone in her life who can give her the things she can’t buy. She needs love, she needs trust and she needs respect. She might not need a mate, but she needs friends.”
Ivy nodded. “I consider her a friend, but she won’t be able to get what she needs here. People are searching for her, and the regular arrivals are searching for love. She isn’t up for that.”
Chuck leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. “She needs to learn how to be human.”
The shifters at blinked at him, but Teebie grinned. “I think you have nailed it. Do any of you know where she could go to have a nice, normal, human-style family Christmas?”
Ivy sat back and smiled. “Oh, that is very clever. The holidays would be the best time to bring someone from out of town in and no one would question it.”
Chuck smiled and looked to Arkenon, “I do believe that I know of a family who enjoys taking in strays.”
Arkenon blinked and understanding dawned. “I believe you are right. Let me call Mom and Dad and make some arrangements. If Windi is in town already, we will have a built-in tour guide.”
Chuck grinned. “We will come down for Christmas Eve. Be prepared. Ivy has been working on some gifts that are going to boggle your mind.”
Teal and Tony smiled and held hands for a moment.
Teebie chuckled as she watched the couples and the one uncomfortable man who kept looking up at the ceiling as if he could see Tyla through the floor. “She doesn’t want to be rescued, but she doesn’t know how to live on her own. She needs life skills that involve dealing with others, so keep that in mind.”
Arkenon nodded. “Life skills. Right.”
“She is a slightly more sophisticated version of a wolf boy. The only thing she has been exposed to is her family.”
“That isn’t quite true. She told me about escaping to run around a park. I imagine that she was very young at the time. She wants to meet others, but it isn’t allowed.” Arkenon grimaced. “Speaking of that, what is the situation with her family?”
Teal sighed. “They are putting a petition to the governing body for us to return her. The only thing that is delaying it is that they have to find a transporter who can move her on short notice and they are all busy for the holidays.”
Tony chuckled. “We have a path designed with the assistance of the Guild Master. It will take four transports but will hide her trail. As long as she keeps the masking charm on, she will be invisible to all trackers.”
Chuck sighed. “Good. Mom and Dad have a big place but an entire flock of angry geese isn’t something that they want to see on their front lawn.”
Arkenon nodded.
Chuck asked his foster brother, “Do you know who is coming?”
“Argus, Windi, Needin and Reginald. Needin is on turkey duty. I think he was talking about deep frying one in the barn again.”
Chuck winced. “I hope his eyebrows grew back. That last attempt was nasty.”
Teebie smiled at the tenuous relationship that Chuck and his foster brother enjoyed. Mr. Talifor had to have nerves of steel, helping a naga escape from a circus and bringing a snake into a family of birds.
The gathering disintegrated into memories of turkeys past, and Teebie sat and let the conversation ebb and flow around her. She had so much in common with Tyla that her heart ached whenever she saw that pale, uncertain face. Teebie had friends now, guests and people to socialize with. She wanted nothing but the same for the golden goose.
* * * *
When Tyla emerged from her room in the morning, the smell of coffee almost pulled her bodily down the stairs. She felt well rested and ready to take on the world or, at least, her love life.
Teebie smiled when Tyla entered the dining room.
“Good morning, Tyla.”
“Good morning, Teebie. May I say that I am horribly embarrassed by my emotional meltdown last night?”
“You may say it but it is not required. You are well within your rights to have a full-on meltdown anytime you like. Now, sit and eat. Arkenon has a proposal for you.”
That name dented her appetite, but she ate mechanically, sipping coffee and drinking water from the carafe that Teebie parked in front of her.
“You are not enjoying that.”
“I made an ass out of myself with Arkenon last night. I am pretty sure that getting close to him is not on the agenda.”
Teebie smiled. “You did nothing that wasn’t within your personal experience. No means no, even if you are interested in him. I understand, Tyla. How many guys do you think have beaten a path to my door?”
Tyla blinked. “I just assumed you came from a large family.”
“My sisters have human skin tones. I was the only one who turned out high-djinn blue. I was raised with a charm on my wrist. It kept me looking normal so that I could live a normal life. I rebelled once and ran out to play with my friends as me. They screamed and ran. My aunt explained that I was different and that I needed to understand that different wasn’t bad but it came with a cost. My cost was being restricted to socializing with djinn and elves.”
Tyla smiled, “I always wondered about elves.”
“T
hey are far more boring than books and movies indicate. Djinn are worse. This colouring is both highly prized and totally feared. I understand your situation far more than you could believe when you arrived, but I see that you are getting the inkling now. You need to find out how to live your own life, and Arkenon has arranged for you to spend time with a family during the holidays. You can see how people live first hand when they are not trying to get more money out of the family coffers.”
Tyla sighed. “My family holidays were relatively normal, but I had to be apart.”
Arkenon poked his head around the corner. “Oh, that will not be an issue. This family won’t let you stay apart. You are going in with full immersion as the goal.”
“They will allow me in during their holidays?”
“They will welcome you, and as they commonly have visitors, no one will think that anything is unusual if you are with them.” He grinned. “Are you ready to go?”
“Now?”
He and Teebie both nodded. “Now.”
She slammed down her coffee and got to her feet. “Then, I had better not keep my hosts waiting.”
Teebie crooked her fingers and the bag appeared in her hand. “Here you go.”
Tyla sniffled and ran around the table to clutch Teebie in her arms. “Thanks for the pep talk.”
“Thanks for listening.” Teebie’s voice wobbled. She cleared her throat and hugged Tyla back. “You have to go but come back anytime. I am sure you can find a way.”
Tyla sniffled and wiped her eyes. “I am sure that I can if you think I can.”
“That’s the spirit, now go and meet suburbia head on. I have faith in you.” Teebie smiled and wiped a smudge from her cheek.
Sighing, Tyla took the bag and faced Arkenon. “So, where are we headed?”
He took her bag and offered her his arm. “Our first stop is Alaska. The transporters are going to bounce us around to hide our trail.”
“Oh. That is thoughtful.” She was completely bemused by the idea.
When they arrived at the Meditation Centre, there was another surprise.
“Ivy!” Tyla walked forward and took her hands. “I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”
Ivy released her hands and hugged her. “It was my fault for pushing you too fast, so it was the least I could do.”
“You didn’t push me. You just redirected me when I was pushing myself. You were right, I wasn’t ready.”
Ivy smiled weakly. “I hope that you just relax into the holidays with a family. See you in a few days.”
Arkenon grabbed her hand and pulled her into the space between Tony and Teal. In addition to her bag, he had a suitcase on wheels next to him. “All right. Ready, Tyla?”
She shrugged. “As I ever will be.”
Teal gave her a thumbs-up and there was a blinding flash of light.
A smiling woman and a familiar face greeted them. “Hello, Tyla. We didn’t really meet before. My name is Krisia.”
Krisia was grinning and her friend was munching cookies.
“Well, this isn’t the bathroom, but it looks like a good place to start from.” Tyla smiled shyly.
The other woman sighed. “Kris, you suck at introductions. Tyla, my name is Ezzy. This is my home. It’s a fixed portal, and my husband has extensive territory, so no one is coming through here without suffering some major damage.”
“Pleased to meet you, Ezzy.”
Ezzy extended the plate with her eyebrows raised. “Cookie?”
Two more stops through friendly but territorial shifters’ homes and they were on their way to the final stop.
Arkenon asked, “How is this possible?”
Krisia wrinkled her nose. “There are bonuses to being the Transporter Guild Master. The parking space is also very nice.”
Tyla laughed, and then, she realised that she didn’t know how to drive and she quieted. It was yet another bit of normal that was missing from her kit.
“Okay, you will be going through this last one without me. The wild magic in this area makes my powers a little sparky, so be quick.” Kris rubbed her hands together. “Okay, here you go.”
Tyla grabbed her bag and Arkenon picked up his kit. It was his tattoo tool kit, and he was protective of it.
“Thanks for this, Krisia.”
“Start your life, Tyla. All the thanks I need.”
Krisia opened the portal and Arkenon pushed Tyla through it.
Chapter Six
She stumbled and landed face first in a pile of snow. Tyla laughed and shivered, picking up a handful and examining it. It was as cold as she imagined, but it melted so quickly, she was soon holding water.
“Arkenon Mathias Talifor, why are you letting that poor woman soak in snow? Get in here!” A woman’s voice bellowed out of the long farmhouse just behind them.
Tyla got to her feet and toddled over to the porch. The woman clucked her tongue and pulled her sweater off, wrapping it around Tyla’s shoulders. “Come on inside, dear. We have been looking forward to having you join us.”
Arkenon stomped up the stairs, completely unfazed by the snow. “Sorry, Mom. I completely forgot we would be arriving in the yard, probably because the transporter didn’t mention it.”
Tyla whispered, “She did say that the wild magic in the last area might make her magic spark a little. We probably got a boost.”
He looked over at her and winked. “Probably. Mom, this is Tyla Orwell. Tyla, this is Agnes Talifor, Chuck’s and my mother.”
“Call me Aggie, dear. Now, you are soaked. Do you have any cold-weather clothing?”
Tyla blushed and shook her head. If you never went out, you didn’t need outerwear.
“Well, Windi is here, so once I make introductions, she can give you something to wear, and tomorrow, you can head out to the mall together.”
Tyla panicked at the thought until she realised that there were ways to get cash. The interior of the house was huge. Tyla could almost imagine the family of birds taking turns flying from one side to the next to stretch during bad weather.
It reminded her of the longhouses of ancient Vikings. They could just build on another block whenever they needed it.
A young woman with dark brown hair came skidding around a corner in stocking feet. “Is this her?”
“Yes, this is Tyla, Arkenon’s girlfriend. She will be staying with us for a while. Tyla, this is my daughter, Windi, the burden that all mothers with daughters must bear.” Agnes smiled and wrinkled her nose at her daughter.
Windi looked to be three or four years younger than Tyla. “So, how many tattoos do you have?”
Tyla blinked. “Um, none.”
Windi’s jaw opened and she looked at her brother. “I thought you said that any woman you dated had to be as into tattoos as you were.”
Tyla blushed and wiped water from her skin. “I have my own interests that parallel his artistic bent.”
He grinned. “I am going to put my stuff in my room.”
Windi slid her arm through Tyla’s. “You are bunking with me. We don’t want anything weird going on during the night. We are light sleepers.”
“Windi, can you get Tyla something to wear? She comes from a warmer climate.”
“Oh, sure. This way.”
Windi had a knack for happy chatter as she hauled Tyla away. With one desperate glance to Agnes, she was pulled down a hallway and into the living spaces.
Windi did indeed have room. Her room was ten by twenty and had two beds, a desk and a television. She also had a huge closet that contained clothing from every era of her life. Humming to herself, Windi looked Tyla up and down and then she headed into the closet, flipping one article after another into Tyla’s arms.
“You know, you are the first woman that Ark has ever brought home. Mom was flipping out on the phone. She wants to make sure you have a nice time. So, what do you want to do while you are here?”
“I think I need to get some clothing more suited to the weather, and if your family is hosti
ng me for the holidays, I need gifts or something.”
Windi smiled. “Far be it from me to refuse a gift. So, you want to shop?”
“I will have to get some money, but yes.”
“Nice. Will you drive?”
Tyla paused and said in a calm voice. “I never got my license.”
“Oh. That sucks. Okay, I will drive or we can get Ark to come with us.”
Tyla blushed. “That would be fine.”
Windi produced some jeans and a thick sweater with a few heavy pairs of socks. “There, these should be a good start.”
Tyla looked at the heap of clothing and looked helplessly to Windi.
“Start trying them on, silly. Or are you shy? I could close my eyes, wear a hoodie backwards or something.”
“No, I will be fine. I just don’t know where to start.”
Windi helped her sort the clothing into sets that would be flattering, and Tyla removed her sundress and put on a thick sweater. Her skin protested the texture, so she removed it and grabbed a long-sleeved shirt first then the sweater. That was better.
Two pairs of jeans were too tight but the third set was just right. When Windi held up a pair of festive socks, Tyla laughed. Geese with a wreath around their necks were waddling on the knitwear. “My mom made these years ago. I think they will suit you more than me.”
Tyla’s feet felt relief when they were encased in the warm socks. She understood Windi’s urge to slide around. It was almost a compulsion.
“What is that bracelet? A friendship charm?” Windi was absently looking at the leather tie with the small bronze medallion.
“Ah, just something a good friend gave me.” She touched the charm with her fingers, secure in the knowledge that her hair was covered by magic into something completely normal.
Smells of a complicated meal wafted into the room via the air returns. A voice yelled out, “Dinner!” a moment later.
Windi grinned. “You look good. That sweater makes your boobs look huge. Very flattering.”
Tyla looked down and blushed; she didn’t have a chance to look for another outfit. Windi grabbed her hand and hauled her bodily out the door; Tyla’s goose socks gave her no grip on the polished floors. She was sliding around with Windi as her beast of burden.
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